Utility rack having end supports with folding cross-members

ABSTRACT

A utility rack includes a pair of end supports for supporting one or more shelves there between. Each end support includes a first vertical support having one or more cross members mounted thereto and a second vertical support. The cross members may be mounted to one or more cross member mounts of the first vertical support and are configured to be movable relative to the first vertical support between a stored position in which they are disconnected from the second vertical support and are collapsed inwardly towards the first vertical support for storage or transport and an extended position in which free ends of the cross members may be attached to the second vertical support using fasteners.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The disclosed embodiments relate to shelving systems. More specifically,the disclosed embodiments relate to utility rack end supports.

2. Related Art

Many shelving or rack systems are commercially available that may beinstalled in a home, office, garage, warehouse, or other facility toprovide storage. Such shelving systems are generally comprised of anumber of shelves which are supported by end supports. The end supportsare generally framed structures that include vertical members joined byone or more connecting members (such as shelf supports) to providesufficient strength and rigidity for securely supporting the shelves andthe contents placed thereon.

Typically, such end supports are fabricated as a unitary structure. Thatis, the vertical supports and connecting members are permanently fixedto one another, such as by welding. In this manner, the end supports canprovide sufficient rigidity and strength to support the shelving system.This is largely due to the fact that with welded connecting membersthere is no play between the vertical supports and the connectingmembers.

While the above described end supports are strong and rigid, they mayalso be unwieldy for storage, packaging, and transporting. Because theabove-described end supports are of a fixed, rigid structure, packagingfor a shelving system or utility rack utilizing the end supports must beof sufficient size to accommodate those unitary end supports. Forexample, the vertical supports may be spaced apart from one another by18-24 inches or more, requiring that the associated packing be at least18-24 inches wide to accommodate those supports. This leads to a largepackaging size for the shelving systems, which in turn requires morestorage space at a manufacturer's warehouse, during shipping, on displayat a retail location, and for an end user to transport to aninstallation location. This additional required storage space increasesoverhead costs for a manufacturer, including added storage facilitycosts and shipping fees.

Alternatively, “unassembled” storage shelving and utility racks havebeen developed. These storage shelving and utility racks use endsupports which are produced, shipped, and sold with the vertical membersand connecting members comprising entirely disassociated individualmembers. The members include preconfigured connectors which allow themembers to be connected or joined to one another to assemble the unit.This configuration allows the members to be stacked or positioned closeto one another during shipping and storage, reducing the amount of spaceas compared to a rack that has cross supports welded to the vertical endmembers.

However, in these shelving systems, a purchaser of the rack or shelvingsystem is required to assemble all of the various pieces of the endsupports. This may require substantial time and effort of the part ofthe purchaser, discouraging the purchaser to buy such a product. Theuser may also incorrectly assemble the end supports, thus causing themto not function as intended. Further, the resulting shelving may notprovide sufficient strength and rigidity as compared to a rack withwelded end supports. For example, the integrated connectors for the endmembers generally comprise pins or tabs on one member which are acceptedinto slots in a corresponding member. The effectiveness of the pin andslot connector configuration depends upon exact alignment or elsesubstantial play is introduced at both ends of all of the cross supportsand the vertical supports, thus allowing the shelf or rack to tilt orsway or become unstable. Furthermore, a shelf support is often used asthe connector member for the end supports which dictates and limits theplacement of at least that shelf member, thus preventing the user frombeing able to select the desired location of all the shelves. Thepresent invention eliminates that limitation.

Thus, there exists a need for utility rack having end supports thatallow for reduced packing size for shipping and storage while retainingsufficient strength, rigidity, and ease of assembly during use.

SUMMARY

The disclosed embodiments have been developed in light of the above.Aspects of the invention comprise a “bolted” utility rack comprising atleast two end supports for supporting one or more shelves or othersupporting elements. Each end support comprises a first vertical supporthaving one or more cross members mounted thereto and a second verticalsupport. In a preferred embodiment, the first vertical support includestwo or more cross member mounts and first ends of the cross members arefastened or permanently affixed to those cross member mounts. The one ormore cross members are configured to be movable between a first extendedposition for connection via one or more fasteners to the second verticalsupport and a second collapsed or a storage position in which the crossmembers are disconnected from the second vertical support and arepositioned substantially parallel to the first vertical support. Thesecond vertical support preferably includes two or more cross membermounts to which free ends of the cross members may be attached usingfasteners.

According to further aspects of the invention, the first verticalsupport of the end support of the utility rack may be constructed tohave a channel. In the stored position, at least one of the crossmembers may be disposed at least partially within the channel of thefirst vertical support.

The cross support mounts may comprise brackets that are installed withinor otherwise connected to the channels of the first and second verticalsupports. The cross members may comprise, when extended from the firstvertical support and connected to the second vertical support, at leastone horizontal cross member and at least one diagonal cross member. Theat least one horizontal cross member and the at least one diagonal crossmember may be connected to the same cross support mount of the firstvertical support.

The cross members preferably include an upper horizontal cross member, alower horizontal cross member, and a diagonal cross member. The diagonalcross member and the lower horizontal cross member may be connected to acommon lower cross member mount of the first vertical support, while theupper horizontal cross member may be connected to an upper cross membermount of the first vertical support. The free end of the lowerhorizontal cross member may be configured to connect to a lower crossmember mount of the second vertical support and the free ends of thediagonal cross member and the upper horizontal cross member may beconfigured to connect to an upper cross member mount of the secondvertical support.

Further aspects of the invention may include a method for packaging arack and/or an end support for a utility rack, and for assembling an endsupport and rack. In one embodiment of a method of packing, theplurality of cross members are disconnected from the second verticalsupport and are folded to position in which the plurality of crossmembers are substantially parallel with the first vertical support, andthe first and second vertical supports with the plurality of crossmembers in the folded position are packaged for storage and shipping. Ina method of assembly, the components of the rack are removed from apackage. The cross members of each first vertical support are rotatedinto their extended position and connected to the second verticalsupports to form two rack end supports, preferably using fastenerscomprising bolts. One or more shelves are connected to the end supportsto be supported thereby. Advantageously, the shelves can be positionedindependent of the cross members because the shelves/shelf supports donot serve as cross supports for the end members.

Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention overthe prior art will become apparent from the detailed description of thedrawings which follows, when considered with the attached figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a utility rack that includes end supports according to oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A is a vertical support of the end supports of the utility rackshown in FIG. 1 with folding cross members.

FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion of the folding cross members,member mounts and associated fasteners shown in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C is a top view of a connection of cross members to a verticalsupport via a member mount and fasteners.

FIGS. 3A-3C show an example of assembling two vertical supports with thefolding cross members shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIG. 3A shows thevertical supports in a stored condition, FIG. 3B shows the verticalsupports with cross members moving towards an assembled position, andFIG. 3C shows the vertical supports and cross members in an assembledposition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a more thorough description of the present invention.It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that thepresent invention may be practiced without these specific details. Inother instances, well-known features have not been described in detailso as not to obscure the invention.

One embodiment of the invention is a utility rack with end supportshaving folding cross members. The utility rack with these end supportsallows for compact packaging and storage, easy assembly and highrigidity and strength when fully assembled.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a utility rack 100 that includesend supports according to one embodiment of the invention. In thisembodiment, the utility rack 100 is configured as a shelving unit. Theutility rack 100 includes two end supports 110. The end supports 110 areconfigured to support a plurality of shelves 120 therebetween. Theshelves 120 may be removably connectable at various locations on the endsupports 110. The shelves 120 may be of unitary construction or mayinclude a storage surface that is connected to shelf supports 122. Theconnection between the shelves 120 and the end supports 110 may be byvarious connections or connectors. The number of shelves 120, theirconfiguration and spacing, may vary. For example, the position of theshelves 120 may be varied by the user. It will be appreciated that theutility rack 100 could have other configurations. For example, the rack100 might be configured as a pallet rack and have two end supports 110and a plurality of pallet supporting beams extending there between, orthe like.

In one embodiment of the invention, each end support 110 of the rack 100comprises two vertical supports and one or more cross-members. FIG. 2Aillustrates a first vertical support 210 of one of the end supports 110of the utility rack 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2B is an enlargedview of a portion of the first vertical support 210 and a connection ofone of the cross members shown in FIG. 2A.

The first vertical support 210 includes one or more cross members 222,224, 226. As described below, the cross members 222, 224, 226 aredesigned to be movable between a first collapsed position and a secondextended position. In the second extended position, the cross membersare connectable to a second vertical support to form a rack end support110.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the first vertical support 210 is anelongate member having first and second ends. In one embodiment, thefirst vertical support 210 is generally “C”-shaped in cross-sectionalshape, thus defining a channel 212 along the length thereof. The firstvertical support 210 may include a plurality of attachment points orelements. For example, the first vertical support 210 may include aplurality of apertures 214. The apertures 214 may be formed by punchingout a section of the vertical support 210 to form tabs 124 (see FIG. 1).As illustrated in FIG. 1, mounts of the shelves 120 may be configured toconnect to the tabs 124 to support the shelves 120, in a manner that iswell known in the art. The first vertical support 210 might also includecatches, hooks, pins or other elements to facilitate the attachment ofthe shelves 120 or other elements.

The cross members 222, 224, 226 are mounted to the first verticalsupport 210, and most preferably are permanently affixed or connected tothe first vertical support 210. At the same time, the cross members 222,224, 226 are configured to be foldable or pivotable relative to thefirst vertical support 210. In one embodiment, the cross members 222,224, 226 are mounted to the vertical supports by one or more crossmember mounts or other attachment mechanisms. Particularly, brackets 230or other mounts are provided that are mounted or connected to the firstvertical support 210. In one embodiment, the brackets 230 include tabsor other elements which connect to one or more of the fasteningapertures 214 in the channel 212 of the vertical support 210. Thebrackets 230 may be fixed to the fastening apertures 214 via anysuitable connection providing sufficient strength and rigidity such asby a force fit, fasteners, and the like. Alternatively, the brackets 230may be welded within the channel 212 of the first vertical support 210,or may be formed integrally with the first vertical support 210.

In a preferred embodiment, each bracket 230 includes a pair of spacedflanges 234 each having an aperture 232 configured to receive at leastone fastener. The fastener, such as a pin, bolt or the like may beconfigured to extend through the apertures 232 and correspondingapertures in a first end of the cross members 222, 224, 226. The pin maybe force fit into the apertures 232 to secure the pin to the bracket230, or the pin may be a bolt that has a corresponding nut to secure thepin to the bracket 230. It is also possible to utilize two pins, each ofwhich engages one of the flanges and one portion of the first end of thecross members 222, 224, 226.The rotatable connection between the crossmembers 222, 224, 226 and the brackets 230 allows the cross member 222,224, 226 to rotate or fold with respect to the first vertical support210.

In this embodiment, there is a lower horizontal cross member 224, anupper horizontal cross member 226, and a diagonal cross member 222. In apreferred embodiment, each cross member 222, 224, 226 is also general“U” or “C” shaped in cross-sectional shape, thus including a pair ofspaced apart walls 236. The cross members 222, 224, 226 are sized sothat the spaced walls 236 fit tightly adjacent to the spaced flanges 234of the brackets 230. In a preferred embodiment, the dimension betweenthe outside of the walls 236 of the cross member is slightly smallerthan the distance between the flanges 234 of the bracket 230, wherebythe end of the cross member may fit within or between the flanges 234 ofthe bracket 230, as illustrated in FIG. 2B.

In one embodiment, a first end of the lower horizontal cross member 224and a first end of the diagonal cross member 222 are permanentlyattached to the first vertical support 210 at a first position via afirst bracket 230, and a first end of the upper cross member 226 ispermanently attached to the vertical support 210 at a second positionvia a second bracket 230, as shown in FIG. 2A. The other second or freeends of the cross members 222, 224, 226 include apertures 244 and 246that are configured for use in attaching these members to a secondvertical support 310, as illustrated in FIG. 3A and described in moredetail below. In this embodiment, apertures 246 and 244 of the diagonalcross member 222 and the upper cross member 226 are configured to beattached to the second vertical support 310 at the same location. Theupper cross member 226 further includes guiding tabs 242 that projectfrom an inner channel surface of the upper cross member 226 tofacilitate easy assembly of the diagonal cross member 222 and uppercross member 226.

As indicated, each end support 110 of the rack 110 preferably alsoincludes a second vertical support 310. In a preferred embodiment, thesecond vertical support 310 also comprises an elongate member having afirst end and a second end. The second vertical support 310 may alsoinclude one or more attachment points or members, such as for attachingthe shelving 120 or shelving supports 122. Preferably, the secondvertical support 310 does not include any cross members. Instead, thesecond vertical support 310 only includes one or more brackets 330 orsimilar members to which the free ends of the cross members 222, 224,226 of the first vertical support 210 may be selectively connected anddisconnected (i.e. the end supports 110 include means for removablyconnecting the cross members 222, 224, 226 to the second verticalsupport 310), as described below.

FIGS. 3A-3B show an example method of assembling and end support 110 fora rack 100 of the invention. As explained above, the first verticalsupport 210 is constructed so that while the cross members 222, 224, 226are fixed to the first vertical support 210, they are also movablerelative to the first vertical support 210. In particular, duringstorage and shipping as shown in FIG. 3A, the cross members 222, 224,226 may be moved to a first or stored position. In this position, thecross members 222, 224, 226 are folded or moved to a position in whichthey extend generally parallel with the first vertical support 210.

As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the free ends of the cross members 222, 224,226 may be disconnected from the second vertical support 310. The uppercross member 226 may be folded down towards the middle of the firstvertical support 210, and the diagonal cross member 222 and the lowercross member 224 may be folded up towards the middle of the firstvertical support 210. When the first vertical support 210 defines achannel, the cross members 222, 224, 226 may be configured to fold suchthat one or more of the cross members 222, 224, 226 (or portionsthereof) rest within the channel 212 of the vertical support 210. Theposition of the vertical support 210 and cross members 222, 224, 226shown in FIG. 3A may be referred to as a folded position for packaging,storing, and shipping. In this position, because the second verticalsupport 310 is not connected to the first vertical support 210 andbecause the cross members 222, 224, 226 are folded down, the secondvertical support 310 may be placed directly adjacent to the firstvertical support 210 (i.e. the second vertical support 310 does not needto be spaced outwardly from the first vertical support 210, such as isthe case with welded end supports of the prior art). In this position,the position the first and second vertical supports 210, 310 andassociated cross members 222, 224, 226 take up considerably less spacefor storage and shipping as compared to a configuration where the crossmembers are welded to both vertical supports, thus causing thosesupports to be spaced from one another by the cross-members

As shown in FIG. 3B, to assemble the end support 110, the cross members222, 224, 226 are unfolded for connection with corresponding brackets330 on the second vertical support 310. That is, the lower cross member224 is folded downwardly so that the free end thereof is aligned with alower bracket 330 of the second vertical support 310. In this position,the lower cross member 224 may be in a horizontal position between thefirst and second vertical supports 210, 310. Similarly, the diagonalcross member 222 is folded outwardly so as to extend from a lowerbracket 230 on the first vertical support 210 to an upper bracket 330 onthe second vertical support 310. Further, the upper cross member 226 isfolded upwardly to connect to the upper bracket 330. In this position,the upper cross member 226 may be in a generally horizontal positionbetween the first and second vertical supports 210, 310.

The free ends of the cross members 222, 224, 226 are connected to thebrackets 330 of the second vertical support 310. The brackets 330 may besimilar to the brackets 230 described above (such as having a pair offlanges 334 which have apertures therein). Various means may be used toconnect the cross members 222, 224, 226 to the second vertical support310. Referring to FIGS. 2B and 2C, in the preferred embodiment, one ormore fasteners (e.g. one or more elements separate from the crossmembers or the second vertical support) are utilized to connect thecross members 222, 224, 226 to the second vertical support 310. Thefastener(s) may comprise one or more pins or other elements. In a mostpreferred embodiment, the fasteners comprise fasteners which allowcustomization of the tightness of the connection, such as a bolt 338 andcorresponding nut 340 (such as by extending a bolt 338 through theapertures in the cross members and the associated bracket 330 andsecuring the bolt with a nut 340, which nut may be mounted on thebracket 338 (such as via welding or by threading the aperture of thebracket 330, etc.)), thus allowing the user to ensure that even thoughthere may be variances in each connection, such as due to manufacturingvariation in the members, the connection of each cross member to thesecond vertical support 310 is tight and secure. The assembled endsupport 110 is shown in FIG. 3C.

Referring to FIG. 1, once the user has assembled the two end supports110, the user may use them to support one or more shelves 120 or othermembers. As indicated above, the user may connect the shelves 120 to theend supports 110 via the provided connectors, such as by aligning slotson the shelves/shelf members with pins 124 on the end supports 110. Aparticular advantage of the invention is that the location of the crossmembers 222, 224, 226 is entirely independent of the shelves 120. Inparticular, unlike the prior art, the user can locate the shelves 120 inany position because the shelves/shelf supports do not serve asconnecting or supporting members for the end supports 110. Instead,dedicated cross members 222, 224, 226 are used to connect and supportthe vertical supports 210, 310 of the end supports 110. This allows theuser to place the shelves 120 at any desired position along the endsupports 110.

The first vertical support 210 with integral cross members 222, 224, 226and the separate/separable second vertical support 310 allows the endsupport 110 of the shelving system 100 to be collapsed or separated,thus requiring less space for packaging, storing, and shipping. Further,the end support 110 formed from the first vertical support 210 havingintegral cross members 222, 224, 226 and connectable second verticalsupport 310 maintains sufficient strength and is ease of assembly.Particularly, because the cross members 222, 224, 226 are mounted orpermanently affixed to the vertical support 210, the cross members 222,224, 226 are both securely connected to the first vertical support 210while also being foldable or rotatable with respect to the verticalsupport 210.

The end support 110 provides a number of advantages or prior endsupports. Because the end support 110 includes foldable cross members222, 224, 226, the end support 110 requires considerably less storagespace than prior end supports. This decreases storage costs such aspacking and inventory costs as well as shipping costs. The smallerpackaging size may also be more convenient for an end purchaser totransport the rack 100 to an installation location. Further, because thevertical support 210 is fabricated or constructed with integral crossmembers 222, 224, 226, the end support 110 is easy to assemble. Asdescribed above, all the user needs to do to assemble the rack 100 is toform each end support 110 by folding out the cross members 222, 224, 226from the first vertical support 210 and attaching them to the secondvertical support 310, and then connecting the shelves 120 to the endsupports 110. The assembly of the end supports 110 is obvious becausethe first ends of the cross members 222, 224, 226 are already mounted tothe first vertical support 210, such that the free ends can only berotated out to one position where they align with the brackets 330 ofthe second vertical support 310. All the user needs to do is simply pinor otherwise connect the free ends of the cross members to the secondvertical support 310.

At the same time, because the foldable cross members 222, 224, 226 arealready installed onto the vertical support 210, they are mounted in amanner which maximizes strength while minimizing free play, thusensuring that the end supports 110 are strong and rigid when assembled.In particular, in the preferred configuration, the brackets 230, 330have outwardly extending spaced flanges 234. Opposing walls 236 orportions of the free ends of the cross members 222, 224, 226 are mountedto those flanges, thus reducing the play between the cross members 222,224, 226 and the first vertical support 210 (e.g. keeping the crossmembers 222, 224, 226 aligned therewith). Further, unlike “boltless”racks of the prior art, the configuration of the invention whichrequires fasteners to connect the members ensures that connected membersare tightly connected to one another, eliminating play between thosemembers.

The above described embodiment is an example implementation and does notlimit the scope of the invention. Further modifications of the shelvingunit incorporating the above features are also envisaged. For example,while the above shelving unit comprises brackets 230, 330 for connectingthe cross members 222, 224, 226 to the vertical support 210, theinvention is not limited to this. Instead of the bracket 230, 330,installation apertures for connecting to the cross members 222, 224, 226may be built into the sidewalls of the channel 212 of the verticalmember 210.

It will also be appreciated that other forms of rotating connectionsmight be utilized between the cross members 222, 224, 226 and the firstvertical support 210. For example, the brackets 230 of the firstvertical support 210 might carry bearing mounted rods to which the crossmembers are connected. In one embodiment, pins might actually extendthrough the sides of the first vertical support 210 itself (rather thanthrough brackets 230) for rotatably mounting the cross members 222, 224,226.

The invention is not limited to the configuration of cross members 222,224, 226 described above. For example, there may be fewer cross members(such as a single diagonal cross member, or just one or more horizontalcross members) or additional horizontal and/or diagonal cross membersbased on the size and strength of the desired end support. For example,an end support 110 might include a first vertical support having upper,intermediate and lower cross members which can fold for storage orextend into a generally horizontal position for connection to the secondvertical support.

It will also be appreciated that the mounting points for the crossmembers 222, 224, 226 may vary. In one embodiment, the diagonal crossmember 222 might be connected to the upper bracket 230 along with theupper cross member 226, so that the diagonal cross member 222 must berotated upwardly to connect to the second vertical support. Also, thefirst end of the diagonal cross member 222 need not be the same aseither horizontal cross member.

Further, the spacing between the brackets and/or their location (fromthe ends of the first vertical support 210) may vary. Also, the locationof the brackets 330 of the second vertical support 310 may vary. In oneembodiment, it is possible for the brackets 330 to be offset from thebrackets 230 of the first vertical support 210, whereby the upper andlower cross members 224, 226 do not extend horizontally, but slope. Thecross members may each be connected to a single bracket or installationaperture, or two or more cross members may be connected to a singlebracket or installation aperture.

While the rack 100 of the invention comprises two end supports 110 andone or more intermediate members such as shelves 120, other elements orunits could be connected to or added onto the rack 100. For example, inone embodiment the rack 100 might comprise first and second end supportsand one or more intermediate supports. Shelves or other elements mightextend between one end support and a first intermediate support, thefirst intermediate support and another intermediate support, and thelast intermediate support and a second end support, for example. In thisregard, the end support 110 of the invention, including its method ofassembly and packing, may be applied to a wide variety of products orenvironments.

The size of the rack 100 may vary, such as depending on the desiredapplication. As one example, the end supports 110 may be about 24 incheswide and 72 inches high and they may be spaced from one another by about70-80 inches. As indicated however, the dimensions of the rack 100 mayvary considerably.

The components of the rack 100 may be constructed from a variety ofmaterials. In a preferred embodiment, the components are constructedfrom metal, and preferably steel. As indicated, while the cross members222, 224, 226 are preferably generally “C” shaped in cross-section sothat they are strong but have a lighter weight, the cross members couldhave a closed hollow body construction or even be solid.

It will be understood that the above described arrangements of apparatusand the method there from are merely illustrative of applications of theprinciples of this invention and many other embodiments andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined in the claims.

1. A utility rack comprising: an end support for disposing on each ofopposite sides of a plurality of shelves, the end supports beingconfigured to support the plurality of shelves, and each end supportcomprising: a first vertical support including two or more cross memberattachment mechanisms; a second vertical support including two or morecross member attachment mechanisms; and at least a first cross memberhaving a first end and a second end and a second cross member having afirst end and a second end, where each of the first cross member and thesecond cross member are rotatably coupled at the respective first end toone of the cross member attachment mechanisms of the first verticalsupport, where each of the first cross member and the second crossmember are configured to attach at the respective second end to one ofthe cross member attachment mechanisms of the second vertical support,and where the first cross member has a length greater than a length ofthe second cross member.
 2. The utility rack of claim 1, where the firstvertical support and the second vertical support are each constructed tohave a channel, and configured to at least partially receive at leastone of the first cross member or the second cross member within thechannel of the first vertical support.
 3. The utility rack of claim 2,where the cross member attachment mechanisms are brackets that arecoupled to an interior surface within one of the channels of the firstvertical support and the second vertical support.
 4. The utility rack ofclaim 1, where the first vertical support comprises a first cross memberattachment mechanism and a second cross member attachment mechanism, andwhere the first cross member comprises a diagonal support coupled to across member attachment mechanism adjacent an upper end of the firstvertical support and a cross member attachment mechanism adjacent alower end of the second vertical support.
 5. The utility rack of claim4, further comprising a third cross member having a length equal to thelength of the second cross member, and where the third cross member isrotatable coupled with the first vertical support member and configuredto attach to the second vertical support member.
 6. A method forpackaging an end support for a utility rack, the end support having afirst vertical support and a second vertical support, and at least afirst cross member and a second cross member, each of the first crossmember and the second cross member having a first end and a second end,and each of the first cross member and the second cross member beingrotatably coupled at its first end to one of a plurality of cross memberattachment mechanisms of the first vertical support, where the firstcross member has a length greater than a length of the second crossmember, the method comprising the steps of: rotating each of the firstcross member and the second cross member to a storage position in whicheach of the first cross member and the second cross member aresubstantially parallel with the first vertical support; and packagingthe first and second vertical supports with the first cross member andthe second cross member in the storage position for storage andshipping.
 7. The method of claim 6, where the first vertical support andthe second vertical support each comprise a channel, and at least one ofthe first cross member or the second cross member is at least partiallyreceived into the channel of the first vertical support in the storageposition.
 8. The method of claim 7, where each of the plurality of crossmember attachment mechanisms is a bracket that is coupled to an interiorsurface within one of the channels of the first vertical support or thesecond vertical support.
 9. The method of claim 6, where the first crossmember comprises a diagonal support, and the second cross membercomprises a horizontal support, and where the diagonal support and thehorizontal support are connected to the same cross member attachmentmechanism of the first vertical support.
 10. The method of claim 6,further comprising a third cross member that is a lower horizontalsupport, and where the second cross member is an upper horizontalsupport, and where the diagonal cross member and one of the upperhorizontal support and lower horizontal support are connected to thesame cross member attachment member of the first vertical support. 11.(canceled)
 12. (canceled)
 13. (canceled)
 14. (canceled)
 15. (canceled)